Recessed frame for a floor mat



Dec. 1, 1964 J, FAASE 3,158,962

RECESSED FRAME FOR A FLOOR MAT Filed March 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l matiz@ Dec. 1, 1964 F. J, FAASE 3,158,962

RECESSED FRAME FOR A FLOOR MAT Filed March 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff f/ 2f fw' ff f5 & mfg f6 ff i2 27 Emmi INVENTOR. /24/1/,4/ J//i'ff United States Patent (Y 3,158,962 RECESSED FRAME FR A FLGR MAT Frank I. Faase, Rte. 1, Theresa, Wis. Filed Mar. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 797,447 13 Claims. (Cl. Sil- 321) This invention relates to a recessed frame for a floor mat.

The object of the invention is to provide a single type of frame for a door mat that can readily be assembled in a variety of ways depending upon lthe type of finish ilooring to be applied over the base, and which provides a recess of equal depth for the floor mat regardless of the depth or" the finish llooring, at the same time providing a molding to abut the edge of the finish ooring. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a frame using a minimum of parts which can be applied to a recess of any size and shape and which serves to anchor the floor mat so that it cannot shift its position or contr-act in length within the recess. It is a further object of the invention to provide a mat frame which can economically be manufactured by the extrusion process.

A further advantage of my frame is that it may easily be custom made by the iioor mat manufacturer, avoiding dimensional variations which occur in providing the mat from a different source than the frame. Also, my mat frame invariably provides a surface vat the proper level for the floor of the recess, so that the concrete floor will Y always be struck off evenly and correctly within the recess as the frame is installed.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a floor provided with my j novel mat frame, with portions broken away to show details of the frame. v

FIG. 2 is a view of my novel extrusion as it appears when it is notched for bending to form the frame of FIG. 4 or 5.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the extrusion notched to form the frame of FIG. 6 or 7.

FIG. `4 is a cross-sectional view showing my frame applied to a floor in :amanner to accommodate one eighth inch flooring.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing my :frame installed to accommodate three-sixteenth inch ooring.

FIG. 6 is ya cross-sectional View showing my frame Vinstalled to accommodate marble flooring.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional View showing my frame installed to accommodate ceramic tile or terrazzo floormg.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of my frame showing the means by which the ends of the extrusion are joined.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. l0 is a top plan view of a door mat installed in ,my frame showing the means by which the door mat is 1 anchored.

FIG. 1l is a cross-sectional view on line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modied form of mat frame.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the modiiied form of mat frame.

FIG. 1 shows a concrete floor 2t) in which a mat frame 21 is embedded. Floor mat 22 is within the frame, and finish flooring 23 surrounds the frame. As shown in FIG. 2, the frame consists of a flanged bar 24 provided with notches 25 iat the side which is to form the inner side of the frame and with cuts 26 at the opposite side Aof the bar adjacent the apex ofeach notch 25, Without,

2 may be placed in the concrete with either margin 28 or margin 29 of `web 27 up, to :accommodate either the 'eighth-inch flooring of FIG. 4 or the heavier flooring of 3,158,962 Patented ec. 1, 1964:

FIG. 5. Common sizes for flooring are one-eighth inch .thick and three sixteenths inch thick and marginal flanges 28 and 29 of web 27 preferably have these dimensions.

The bar shown in FIG. 2 may also be notched to form the frame shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, as shown in FIG. 3, in which case the opposed notches 25 and cuts 26 extend to, but not through flange 30 of the bar 24.

Flange 3d joins the base web 27 of bar 24 at an angle of at the lateral mid-point of one flat side of the base web 27 and extends longitudinally along it. The other llat side of the base web is provided with two flanges 31 yand 32 spaced inwardly from the respective lateral margins of the base web and joiningit atan angle of 90. The latter two iianges are not syrrunetrically spaced from the respective edges of the base Web. Flange 31 is spaced inwardly from the edge sufficiently to accommodate the thinner grades of asphalt, plastic, linoleum, cork and the like ilooring materials between the flange and the edge of the base web, so that the flooring is flush with the margin of the base web, `and portion 23 of the l base web serves as a molding at the edge of the flooring material as shown in FIG. 4, while flange 32 is spaced inwardly a greater distance from its respective lateral margin of the base web to accommodate heavier grades of such ilooring, with edge portion 29 serving as a molding as shown in FIG. 5.

Near the outer margin of each of the latter pair of flanges, each ange is notched longitudinally at 33 and 34. These notches are triangular in cross section and one side of each notch 33 is approximately parallel to one side of each notch 34 to create a/weakened portion 35 of the flange which extends at an angle to the sides of the flange, and leaving portion 36 of the free margin of the flange of full thickness. The purpose of these weakened portions 35 is shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, which show bars inserted into the space between flanges 31 and 32, the dimensions of the bars being such that they ll the space between the iianges to a depth which brings the exposed side of the bar adjacent to the notches on the inner sides of the flanges. The anges are then deformed at the weakened area to secure the bars in position, as by striking the free edge of the flange with a hammer.

In FIG. 6 the bar which is secured is an extender to adapt the mat frame for use with marble flooring. The extender comprises a rectangular base portion 40 adapted to it between the flanges 31 and 32 of the mat frame, a reduced portion 41 adjacent the free edges 36 of the flanges to permit them to be deformed to secure the base 40, and a wide top portion 42 abutting the marble 43 on one side and the floor mat 22 on the other side to provide a frame for the mat.

As shown in FIGS. Sand 9, a simple rectangular bar 45 of dimensions comparable to the base portion of the extender is secured at the junction 50 where the ends of the mat frame are joined, and is secured therein by deforming the outer margins 36 of the pair of flanges 31 and 32 to grip the corners of the bar.

The way in which the mat frame is assembled from the strip depends on the type of flooring which is to be installed, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 7. FIG. 2 sho-ws the strip notched and cut at opposite sides of the base web 27 to enable it to be bent as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10 Vto form the frame to receive sheet ilooring materials such as asphalt and plas-tic tile, etc., a shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, lthe depth of the flooring material receivable in the frame depending on which side up the frame is placed after it is formed. To form the frame in the manner shown -in FIGS. 4 and 5 a single cut 26 is made through the pair of flanges 31 and 32 to the base web, and a notch 25 is made in flange 3@ at the other side of the base web, with the thickness of the base web separating the apex of the notch from the inner end of the cut. The strip is then alsace@ bent at the notches to form a polygon as shown in PEG. l, and a rectangular bar is inserted and secured as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Alternatively, the free ends may be joined at a corner of the completed frame by means of a bar formed to the proper angle, 90 in the case of a rectangular recess.

In order to accommodate a tile, terrazzo, marble door or the like, the strip which forms the frame is notched as shown in FIG. 3. A cut 2d isnade at one side of the base web through flanges 3l to ange 3d, and a notch 25 is made through flange 3?; to flange 3d, with the apex of each notch being separated from the base of each cut 2d by the thickness of flange Sti, after which the strip is bent into a polygonal frame as before. If a tile or terrazzo licor is to be installed the ends of the strips are joined by means of a rectangular bar 45 as shown in FiGS. 8 and 9, and the frame is placed with the flange 3) up as shown in FlG. 7. Because the height of lange 3@ is equal to its distance from the margins of the base web the recess formed for the floor mat is identical in depth with the recess formed in FlGS. 4 and 5. The tile or terrazzo is then laid to overlap the outer edge of the frame, with the surface of the tile flush with the edge of the single ilange, and a floor mat is placed in the recess enclosed by the frame. ln the event that a marble door or a floor of similar thickness is to be laid, the extender shown in FlG. 6 is used not only to join the free ends of Ithe mat frame but to iill the entire space between the parallel anges 3l and 32, the extender strip being mitered at the corners to form the marginal strip which encloses the recess for the door mat, and abuts the edges of the flooring material. The margins 36 of the pair of flanges 3l and 32 are deformed inwardly at appropriate intervals to secure the extender strip, or may be deformed inwardly along the entire length for that purpose if desired.

The frame which is formed need not be rectangular but may be made virtually any straight sided shape by the use of appropriate notches and cuts which are well-known. The sides may also be curved by using closely spaced cuts, as is well-known.

The preferred type of door mat to till the recess created by the application of the mat frame to a door is a link type mat, which however, has a tendency to be reduced in length by the sculling of people walking thereon, due to the play between the links of the mats and the wires upon which they are strung. If allowed to shorten, the mat will leave a gap at one side of recess which is unsightly and may cause people lto trip. This condition Vis prevented as shown in FIGS. l() and ll by providing a vertical stop dll in a lateral flange of the mat frame underlying the mat to engage the inner edge of the reinforcing bar 6l in the margin of the mat 22, thus securing the edge of the mat to the inner margin of the frame. lt will be noted that the mat may be lifted vertically for cleaning.

An alternative form of mat frame having a heavier cross section is shown in FIGS. l2 and 13. The dimensions of the spaces provided for installation of flooring and to deline the depth of mat recess are identical to those of the preferred embodiment, but the cros sectional area of the bar of which the frame is made is much greater, leading to a slightly more rigid but much more expensive structure.

Bar 43@ is provided with longitudinal recesses at adjacent corners bounded by sides 431, each side 433i being of a depth equal to the thickness of a pre-determined door mat. The two remaining corners are longitudinally relieved at 32 and 433 to receive two different grades of flat Kiiooring material. `Between relieved portion 432 and 433 a longitudinal slot 453 opens into ,a rectangular central cavity 454.

Because this cross section cannot readily be bent, it is not practical to form the strip of FIGS. l?. and i3 in manner described above. instead the ends ot each side are mitered at the appropriate angle for the shape of the recess being formed, 45 o for a rectangular recess, and

n the mitered ends are then joined by a bar 4S@ which is L-shaped in plan and rectangular in cross section. Because slot 453 has a small opening into which the concrete of the iloor docs not readily enter to anchor the frame, it is desirable to use an anchor to secure the frame to the concrete. This comprises a bar lil having a shoulder 4S?. at the top to engage the inner margin of the slot 453 which gives access to the longitudinal recess 45d, the anchor having a free end 455 which is bent to anchor it firmly into the concrete. In the preferred embodiment, FlGS. 4 through 7 show that the frame is firmly keyed to the concrete regardless of how it is placed, because the flanges are so positioned that the concrete readily surrounds them. In the position of FIG. 7 it may be desirable to detorrn flanges 3l and 32 at intervals, as shown.

Thu l have provided a mat frame in which the depth of the recess is always defined by a frame member which guides the wor man installing it in the lioor, moldings are provided for any common type of nish flooring material, and very few types of material need be kept on hand. In addition the frame may be cheaply produced by extrusion, and is readily assembled with simple tools to form any straight sided shape. Within limits it may even be adapted to curved shapes by appropriate notches closely spaced in a known manner. As referred to in the claims, the finished lfloor level means the upper surface of any of the types of finished ilooring material 719-12 or 43 shown in FGS. 547 and ll-13,` and is identified in the various views by the reference character 70). The subfloor level outside of the mat frame refers to the surface upon which the nished flooring material rests, and is identiiied by reference character tlll in the various views. The subdoor level within the mat recess which supports the floor mat is idcntied by reference character 762 in the various views. The various flooring materials themselves are identilied in the drawings by reference character 7l@ referring to the finished `flooring material in FIGS. 4, 11 and 12, reference character 711 referring to the lfinished flooring material in 'FlGn 5, reference character 43 referring to the iinished flooring material shown in FlG. 6, and reference character 732 referring to the finished flooring material shown in FlGS. 7 and 13.

That portion of applicants frame bar identified by reference character 27 in FIGS. 4 through 7, or as 279 in FEGS. l2 and 13, is referred toin the claims as a base web or body. The elements which make up the frame are generally referred to in the claims as frame elements or bars, and specilic projections from the central portion of the frame element or bar are referred to as ilangcs except when they constitute continuations of the central portion 27 or 270, in which case they are referred to as the edges or margins of the frame elements or bar. The above terms apply equally to the device of `FlGS. l through ll and the device of FlIGS. l2 and 13.

The iirst and second supporting surfaces referred to in the claims are those surfaces which lsupport the tinished flooring material iid-732 or 43 and the door mat 22. Any of a number of disclosed surfaces may serve as such support, as disclosed in the specification above.

I claim:

l. A floor mat recess frame, comprising frame elements forming the sides of said frame, each said frame element comprising a base web having opposite faces and opposite edge portions, rst flange means extending longitudinally of one face of said web intermediate the said edge portions thereof, and second liange means extending longitudinally of the other face of said web, each said flange means having opposed surfaces, an upper outer horizontal surface of the angle between one of said flange means and the corresponding face of the web defining an outer supporting surface adapted to support a finished door, an upper inner horizontal surface of the angle between one of said ilange means and the cor- 5. responding web face defining an inner supporting surface adapted to support a mat, the opposed surfaces of said first flange means being spaced unequally from the respective adjacent edge portions of the web, to selectively support finished fiooring of dierent thickness When said frame member is in floorsupporting position.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the face defining the outer supporting surface is a surface of said base web.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the face defining the outer supporting surface is a surface of said first flange means.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the face defining the outer supporting surface isa surface of said second flange means. i

5. The structure of claim 1 in which said first fiange means is provided With a channel extending longitudinally thereof, said channel extending to said base web to divide said first flange means into a pair of flanges, and a bar in said channel, said bar comprising a base portion secured in said channel, a portion extending beyond said surfaces of said first flange means, and a terminal portion having a face substantially co-planar with a said outer surface of said first flange means to'form an extension of said first fiange means.

6. A floor structure comprising a yfinished floor and a suboor, a depression in said finished door, said depression extending downward through said finished floor at least to the top surface of said subfioor, frame members anchored to said subfloor around the periphery of said depression, said frame members having a base web With first and second opposite edge portions and opposite faces, first and second iiange means projecting from said opposite faces intermediate said first and second edge portions, said first and second fiange means each having opposed surfaces, an upper outer horizontal surface of the angle between one of said flange means and the corresponding face of the web defining an outer supporting surface supporting the finished iioor, an upper inner horizontal surface of the angle between one of said ange means and the corresponding web face defining an inner supporting surface supporting a mat, the opposed surfaces o said first flange means being spaced unequally from the respective adjacent edge portions of the web, to selectively support `finished fiooring of different thickness when said frame member is in floor supporting position.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which the said first flange means is providedk with a channel extending lonweb to divide said first iiange means into a pair of y anges.

i gitudinally thereof, said channel extending to said base 50 face of said first fiange means is provided with first 1ongitudinal grooves, the sides of said channel being provided with second longitudinal grooves parallel and 0pposed to said first longitudinal grooves, a bar in said channel, said bar having longitudinal edges adjacent each said second groove, the margins of said first ange means being deformed along at least a part of said first and second grooves to grip said edges of said bar.

9. The structure of claim 7 further including a hat secured in said channel.

10. The structure of claim 9 in which said bar comprises a base portion secured in said channel, a portion extending beyond said surfaces of said first fiange means, and a terminal portion having a face substantially coplanar` with a said outer surface of said first flange means to form an extension of said lfirst flange means.

11. The structure of claim 6 in which the face defining the outer supporting surface is a surface of said first flange means.

12. The structure of claim 6 in which theface defining the outer supporting surface is a surface of said second flange means.

13. The structure of claim 6 in which the face defining the outer supporting surface is a surface of said base web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 29,545, Bettendorf Oct. 25, 1898 720,623 Russel Feb. 17, 1903 1,265,990 Benner May 14, 1918 1,568,012 Walsh Dec. 29, 1925 1,675,313 Awbrey June 26, 1928 1,742,855 Galassi Jan. 7, 1930 1,836,354 Abrams Dec. 15, 1931 1,908,340 Galassi May 9, 1933 1,910,159 Galassi May 23, 1933 1,994,203 Waldman Mar. 12, 1935 2,060,274 Awbrey Nov. 10, 1936 2,063,569 Walker Dec. 8, 1936 2,098,714 Awbrey Nov. 9, 1937 2,639,769 Krantz May 26, 1953 2,654,909 Patterson Oct. 13, 1953 2,699,233 Cameron Jan. 11, 1955 2,759,403 Kelley Apr. 21, 1956 2,883,711 Kump Apr. 28, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES Extruded Aluminum Shapes & Mouldings, The Michigan Copper & Brass Co. Detroit, Michigan, page 24 and last page relied on. 

1. A FLOOR MAT RECESS FRAME, COMPRISING FRAME ELEMENTS FORMING THE SIDES OF SAID FRAME, EACH SAID FRAME ELEMENT COMPRISING A BASE WEB HAVING OPPOSITE FACES AND OPPOSITE EDGE PORTIONS, FIRST FLANGE MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF ONE FACE OF SAID WEB INTERMEDIATE THE SAID EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF, AND SECOND FLANGE MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE OTHER FACE OF SAID WEB, EACH SAID FLANGE MEANS HAVING OPPOSED SURFACES, AN UPPER OUTER HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE ANGLE BETWEEN ONE OF SAID FLANGE MEANS AND THE CORRESPONDING FACE OF THE WEB DEFINING AN OUTER SUPPORTING SURFACE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT 